Ironheart Forges It’s Own Path – With Chicago At Its Core

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has officially touched down in Chicago. In the new

Disney+ series, “Ironheart,” the city doesn’t just serve as a backdrop—it’s a character all its own.

“It’s incredible,” said Dominique Thorne, who stars as young super genius Riri Williams in the Marvel series. “I love Chicago. I always have, honestly.”

The six-episode show, executive produced by Ryan Coogler and created by Chinaka

Hodge, follows the title hero after the events of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”

Expelled from MIT and her Tony Stark scholarship, Riri Williams is plunged into a world

of magic by a mysterious gang leader known as “The Hood,” played by former Hamilton cast member Anthony Ramos.

The bulk of the series was filmed in 2022, with some reshoots over the past year in

Atlanta. It’s a long-overdue moment for Chicago, a major metro that is no stranger to the superhero world for filming. It’s often been a stand-in for Gotham in the Batman movies and TV projects. But on its own, Chicago has often been overlooked in superhero lore.

But now, with scenes in Wicker Park, River North, and throughout the South Side of

Chicago, the Windy City is front and center, and the MCU feels fresher for it.

The city’s rich culture, music, neighborhoods, and political complexities are woven into

the narrative without cliché or caricature. Scenes shot in Chicago’s neighborhoods feel lived-in and authentic. The nods to community activism and local legends are treated with reverence.

The Ironheart character takes center stage in the Marvel Cinematic Universe after first

debuting in the comic pages in 2016 as a successor to Tony Stark’s Iron Man, created

by acclaimed writer Brian Michael Bendis. Her first solo comic was written by Chicago

sociologist and poet Eve Ewing, who further emphasized the character’s Windy City

roots. The city shines in the Disney+ series, serving as a formative piece to the

character’s journey, and setting her apart from Stark’s Iron Man.

“Riri is coming from the South Side of Chicago, and that comes with a very specific type of heart, a type of drive and grit that I think we see a little bit more of than in Wakanda Forever this time around,” said Thorne. “We get to peel that back completely, go into Chicago. And get to meet some of the people and the places that make her who she is.”

Ironheart is not Iron Man 4. It doesn’t lean on Tony Stark’s legacy to do the heavy lifting. Riri Williams is her own genius, her own hero, and her story is rooted in a different kind of brilliance that blends scientific innovation with heart, grief, Blackness, and a new kind of power.

“I think that’s where Chicago comes into the conversation,” said Thorne. “Riri Williams is coming from a very different way of life, a very different community of people, a very

different definition of success, or even of family. Obviously, we all understand how

essential Tony Stark's family dynamic was to his own legacy. And they share that similarity, but of course, at the heart of it is a very different family dynamic.”

Evergreen Park native Lyric Ross plays a new character named Natalie, Riri’s childhood

best friend turned A.I companion. In the comics, Tony Stark is the A.I guide in

Ironheart’s helmet, but with Natalie, the classic “voice in the helmet” dynamic takes on

greater narrative depth.

“There are so many colors, just to Natalie alone,” said Ross. “The relationship between

her and Riri is exactly what I was looking for at the time. And I was just super excited

about starting that journey. They basically gave me somewhat of a blank canvas when the audition came through, and that was the start of my freedom when it came to just doing whatever came through.”

For Ross, being a part of the MCU is a life-long dream. And doing it at home is extra

special.

“When I was little, I was a huge fan of Marvel,” said Ross. “I think I was about two-

years-old when …my dad got me into it and said, ‘listen, this is what we’re going to do

for every new Marvel release from that point on.’ One of my dreams growing up was just to get some type of local job. This is everything.”

Ironheart premieres on Disney+ on June 24 with three episodes. It is rated TV-14.